Automatic foot, toe, and ankle brace



a, F. MADINGER. AUTOMATIC FOOT, TOE; AND ANKLE BRACE. APPLICATION FILEDNOV. 7, [921. I 1,429,604; ept. 19,1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

GQ F. MADINGER.

AUTOMATIC FOOT, TOE, AND ANKLE BRACE- APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1. 1921.

1,429,604, Patented Sept. 19, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3] npewto'o YELF? Mad'Ln er! Patented Sept. 19, 1922.

UMTEW AU'IOliIATIC FOOT, TOE, AND ANKLE BEE-ACE.

Application filed. November 7, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GOTTLIEB F. MADIN- GER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticFoot, Toe, and Ankle Braces, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to medical appliances, and particularly to abrace of this character designed for use in the straight ening of thedeformed feet of children.

The general object ofthis invention is the provision of a combined toeand ankle brace in the nature of a boot, which may be readily applied tothe deformed foot of a child and which will tend to straighten the footand brace the ankle and leg, holding the foot in the position which itwould naturally occupy and resisting any movement of the foot out of itsnatural position.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which shall becomfortable to wear, which will not hurt the child at all, which willthoroughly brace the foot and ankle ofthe child, and which may be fromtime to. time tightened up to resist more strongly, as the child getsused to it, the tendency of the foot to turn from its natural positioninto an unnatural position.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

Myinvention is-illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure1 is a side elevation of a foot, toe

and ankle bracing boot constructed in accordance wlth my lnventlon;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the boot;

Figure 3 is a top view thereof;

Figure 4 is an under side view of the sole; Y

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the toe of the boot;

Figure 6 is asection on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section of a portion of the sole and a portionof the upper showing the manner in which the upper is split before it isapplied to the boot as shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is an elevation of the blank from which the u per is made;

Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that this appliance is inthe form of a Serial No. 513,486.

boot having a foot portion 10 provided with the usual sole 11 and havingan integral anklet or leg portion 12. Preferably the, foot and legportion-are formed of one piece of leather sewed to the sole by stitches18, the toe of the foot'portion being split. and sewed from the sole upthe toe some distance, as 14. Above this seam 14: the leather definingthe opening which extends from the portion 1a to the top of the shoeoverlaps, as illustrated in Figure 3, and the edges'of this overlappedportion are thinned down, as at 15. One margin of the overlapped portionis formed with a buttonhole flap 16 and this is provided with a,buttonhole adapted to engage the button 17 on the other margin. Thisbuttonhole flap and the button are disposedover the instep of the foot.

attached to the margin 18, which is the outermargin of the leg portionof the shoe, is astrap 19. This strap is designed to pass around the legportion in a spiral manner after the fashion of a leather puttee, and atthe top of the leg or ankle portion of the shoe there is attached thebuckle 20, with which the extremity of the strap engages. Attached uponthe frontof the flap 18 approximately in line with the seam 14 are aplurality of leather loops 21 through which the strap is intended topass, these leather loops being disposed diagonally with respect to thevertical axis of the shoe. A plurality of leather loops 22 are alsoattached to the back of the leg portion of the boot, these beinglikewise diag onal to the axis of the boot. I I

As before remarked, the upper is, made in one piece and, as shown inFigures 6 and 7, the upperis split at. 23 and the lower edge of theupper 1s grooved, as at 24, while the sole ll is grooved or kerfed, asat 25.

The edge of the sole is pressed down aipon the sole so that the innerwall of the strip 23 is flattened down on the sole. Then the stitches 13are made through the relatively thin outer wall and the stitches aremore or less concealed in the grooves 24; and 25. As illustrated inFigure 6, the marginof the upper below the split therein is grooved, asat 26, and the edges of the blank 14: shown in Figure 8 are broughttogether and the meeting edges below the tab 16 are grooved and stitchedtogether, as at 14. The blank from which the upper is made isillustrated in Figure 8.

in the application of this device, the strap is loosened sufliciently topermit the shoe to be slipped upon the foot, the strap 16 is buttonedover the instep of the shoe by the button 17, and the spiral strap 19 istightened to a sufficient degree. The boot will adjust itself to thefoot and limb and a greater or less strain may be placed upon the footby adjusting the strap With relation to the buckle. It will be seen thatthere are no fasteners to be adjusted of any kind except the buckle.This device may be used for deformed feet of various kinds, as forexample club foot. In a child born With a club foot the sincere ormuscles of the great toe are stronger than they are in a normal foot. Byputting on this device the foot and ankle are controlled, as the foot iskept in a straight and normal position. My boot also strengthens a Weakankle and a Weak leg. It automatically closes itself around the ankle bythe use of the strap and gives a firm support to the foot and the ankle.The sole is made in a single thickness and can be either a light orheavy Weight sole according to how the device is Worn. Thus, forinstance, it may take the place of a boot,in Which case the sole will beheavy, or it may be of a relatively thinner leather and be Worn insideof the shoe. T he upper is made of one piece of leather in order tosecure a sufficient and uniform rigidity and at the same time eliminateany rough obstructions on the inside of the upper which Would be painfulor uncomfortable to the foot. The strap may be tightened up so that therelatively heavy leather forming the ankle portion or leg portion of theboot Will press against the childs leg and ankle and give it fullsupport. The tightening of the strap Will cause the tightening of theleg or ankle portion of the boot from the instep to the top of the legor ankle portion and, of course, if circumstances require, the strap maybe gradually loosened as the foot becomes more and more straightened.

It Will be seen that this device Will tend to cause the foot to be heldin proper radial direction relative to the axis of the leg and Willresist any movement of the foot out of this proper radial direction.Thus by its use it Will gradually remedy many deformities of the foot.

I claim 1. A combinedtoe and ankle brace for rectifying deformed feetcomprising a bootlike member having a foot portion and a leg portion,the instep of the boot portion to'the leg portion being split doWn thefront, the margins of said split being overlapped, and a spiral strapattached to the margin of the leg portion adjacent the in step andextending spirally around the leg portion, and a buckle attached to theupper end of the leg portion and With which said strap engages. i

2. A combined toe and ankle brace for rectifying deformed feetcomprising a bootlike member having a foot portion and a leg portion,the instep of the boot portion to the leg portion being splitClOWIl'lJllG front, the margins of said split being over:

lapped, a spiral strap attached to the'margin of the leg portionadjacent the instep and engages, the front and rear of the'l'eg portionof the appliance being 'formed With extending spirally around the legportion,

diagonally disposed loops through which the strap passes.

3. A. combined toe and ankle brace for rectifying deformed feetcomprising a bootlike member having a foot portion anda leg portion, theinstep of the boot portion to the leg portion being split down thefront,

the niarginssof said split being overlapped,

a spiral strap attached to the margin of the leg portion adjacent theinstep and extending spirally around the leg portion, and

a buckle attached to the upper end'of the leg portion and With Whichsaid strap engages, the front and rear' of the leg portion of theappliance being formed With diagonally disposed loops through which thestrap passes, the leather on one side of said 7 split at the instepbeing formed'vvith a tab having a buttonhole and the leather im-GOTTLIEB r. MADINGER;

